McNary High School and Salem CTEC Teams Take First at State ProStart Championships

Media Contact: Lori Little

Thirteen High Schools Competed in the Oregon Hospitality Foundation’s Statewide Oregon ProStart® Championships Showcasing the Industry’s Future Chefs and Managers

[March 18, 2024 – Salem, Oregon] – The culinary challenge for the student chefs was to prepare a three-course gourmet meal with only two butane burners in under an hour. McNary High School pulled this off with excellence, winning top honors in the culinary competition at the Oregon Hospitality Foundation’s Oregon ProStart Championships in Salem on Monday. On the restaurant management side, Salem CTEC (Career & Technical Education Center) took first place, earning them a trip alongside McNary, to Baltimore, Maryland to compete in the National ProStart Invitational next month.

“The atmosphere at this event was electric,” said Courtney Smith, ProStart Manager for the Oregon Hospitality Foundation. “ProStart does such a remarkable job preparing high school students with fundamental skills such as communication, teamwork, time management and professionalism needed to enter the workforce. And we saw all this at work in the competition.” 

McNary High School’s culinary team prepared a Steelhead Fish Cake served on a bed of sliced fennel dressed with lemon vinaigrette; grilled bone-in Carlton Farms pork chop served with green beans atop herbed wild rice and vegetable pilaf, glazed with a pancetta apple chutney made with Pacific Northwest maple syrup; and a decadent Chocolate Mousse with piped cherry-glazed chocolate, honey, with a hazelnut crust and garnished with shaved white chocolate and candied hazelnut spear.

Salem CTEC’s restaurant management team created a new concept for a food truck, creating an experience “that puts a spin on the classic combination of French fries and ice cream.” As part of developing the new concept, the team presented their marketing strategies, menu, recipes and food costs, operations, and demonstrated critical thinking skills.

Additional awards presented at the event:

• Oregon ProStart Student of the Year – Genevieve Greninger, McMinnville High School
• Oregon ProStart Teacher of the Year – Austin Stinson, Salem CTEC
• Oregon ProStart Mentor of the Year – Jonathan Johnson, Seaside High School

“As the capstone event for the ProStart career and technical education program, the championships represent the culmination of months of hard work and determination,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “It’s incredibly inspiring to see these kids’ passion and know that we are contributing to a meaningful movement in recognizing career pathways in the hospitality industry.”

The teams from McNary High School and Salem CTEC will head to the National ProStart Invitational® April 26-28, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland to compete against the best teams from all other states, close to 400 students total. These Oregon champions also receive a share of prizes and scholarships from national culinary schools to help further their careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry. 

Of the 46 Oregon high school programs, currently involving over 7,700 ProStart students, a total of 13 teams from 9 high schools competed in this event. Sponsors of the event included: US Coast Guard, Ecolab, McDonald Wholesale, The Grand Hotel in Salem, Johnson Controls, Outback Steakhouse, Evergreen Restaurant Group, Salem Convention Center, Spirit Mountain Casino, Sunriver Resort, and US Foods.

Here are the 2024 Oregon ProStart Championship Results: 

Culinary Competition

• 1st Place: McNary High School
• 2nd Place: McMinnville High School
• 3rd Place: Salem CTEC

Management Competition:

• 1st Place: Salem CTEC
• 2nd Place: McMinnville High School
• 3rd Place: Crescent Valley High School

School Participants:

• • Crescent Valley High School
• • Crook County High School
• • Liberty High School
• • McMinnville High School
• • McNary High School
• • Salem Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC)
• • Sam Barlow High School
• • Seaside High School
• • South Salem School

For more information on the Oregon Hospitality Foundation, visit OregonRLA.org/foundation and OregonRLA.org/prostart to learn more about ProStart. 

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ABOUT
The Oregon Hospitality Foundation (OHF) was formed in 1992 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association with a mission to support the workforce, educational, training, and philanthropic needs of Oregon’s hospitality industry. Its work is enabled by the generous support of partners, private donations, contracts, and grants. The foundation’s Board of Directors is comprised of respected industry professionals.